THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE

From Our Readers

Issue Date: May 9, 2019

Editor:

NO MORE POISON

This weekend I watched the free movie at the Mariner Theater "The Devil We Know". I'm wondering how I'm supposed to feel. Our blood is all poisoned because of Dupont and 3M. They poisoned us and got away with it. They paid a laughable fine. They then eliminated the poisonous chemical from their formula replacing it with an equally poisonous chemical. They continue to manufacture it under a new company name. So why fight for anything anymore? We are all poisoned. Why not add Round-Up to our morning coffee? It's too late, the damage is done and they knew about it! I cried myself to sleep that night.

This morning I sit drinking my coffee and wondering how could this have happened. How did these big companies get away with this? They poisoned our blood for dollars and they're still doing it. I can feel the anger filling me. They poisoned the world! They are still poisoning the world!

Now we find we have our very own big company right here that has been poisoning us for years. Yup. TYCO/JCI has been adding more poison to our already toxic bloodstream and guess what? THEY KNEW! This big company with big dollars was making more dollars while they spread the toxins on farm fields all around our area. They poisoned the land and the water. As I sit here fuming, another big dollar company creeps into my mind. Aquila, a company that wants to put the kind of mine with a 100% failure rate 50 yards from our Menominee River. They want to add their poison to our drinking water. I'm now filled with anger, more like rage. I think if I could be a feral cat right now I would have all claws bared going right for the face and eyes of these big dollar companies. They continue to destroy the very things that keep us alive.

They have poisoned our blood, air, land and are now going for our water. This has to stop right here, right now! I will do everything I can to hold TYCO/JCI responsible and to stop Aquila from ever adding their poison to us and our water. Do you think this accounts for the world cancer and other afflictions.

If you haven't seen "The Devil We Know", you need to see it on Netflix or Amazon. You all need to know what has happened to you.

Mary Hansen

Peshtigo

Dear Editor:

I though April Fool's Day was always celebrated on the 1st day of April. Well, some people at the Marinette Paper did not get the memo. As I opened the Thursday, April 18 Edition of the paper, out popped a special insert titled "Welcome to Fish Country 2019". A Marinette and Menominee fishing tournament guide.

As I read each page of this pro-fishing/pro-tourism publication, I enjoyed the wonderful photos of smiling faces of all ages enjoying their day doing what they all love - fishing.

Hundreds of visitors enjoy coming to Marinette and Menominee, making this area a vacation destination. Inside the pages of this fishing tournament guide are stories of fishing derbies, high schools offering fishing clubs to students, pictures of kids of all ages smiling while holding their fishing poles over the water and holding up their prize catch of the day.

If this publication was dated April 1, I would not take this fishing tournament guide seriously because after all - it's April Fool's Day! The real April Fool's joke would be on all our residents believing Aquila Resources LLC, would keep our water safe.

Aquila has taken out full page ads showing how they will be able to filter out mercury effectively. How convenient of Aquila to leave out information on how they will filter out cyanide, sulfide, lead, zinc, and other toxic chemicals associated and defined by open pit mining. Aquila can't because it can't be done.

Fishing tournaments and tourism greatly impact our economy. If the Back 40 Mine begins operations, local bars, restaurants, hotels and motels, small businesses, marinas, and even Marinette Marine will have their source of fresh drinking water threatened.

Wanna live like Fling, Michigan? Then be a true April Fool and believe Aquila is your community friend.

Rick Prusak,

Dearborn, MI.

Letter to Editor:

On April 28, 2019 I was contacted by a concerned citizen about the tampering of Aquila Resources monitoring wells that are located about one half mile from my home. Identification papers and padlocks were cut off of approximately 20 wells, leaving them open for possible contamination or poisoning. The tampering was not recent as rust could be seen on the cut shanks of the locks.

I have contacted the MDEQ pollution hotline, Michigan DNR, MDEQ director, state police and the sheriff's department, along with several state and local officials. I also sent Aquila headquarters in Canada an email, including pictures of the tampered wells. Why didn't I call the local Aquila office you ask? It is because I and my family have been harassed in the past by their employees and I want nothing to do with the local office!

In the fall of last year, I observed these wells myself and everything was intact. I know for a fact, that Aquila employees drive back on the state land in question, as I have personally seen them go by my home. These wells should have been inspected on a regular basis and ordinary master locks should not have been used to secure them. The safety of our drinking water has been highly jeopardized by Aquila's lack of concern for our safety! High-security locks and inpection are a must!

I also demand that Aquila Resources have these wells tested by a third party and that the wells of surrounding land owners also be tested.

Late Monday afternoon, I was contacted by an investigator with the MDEQ regarding the missing locks on Aquila Resources monitoring wells. He informed me that he contacted Aquila about the situation and was told by Aquila that their employees had cut the locks off when they were too rusted to open. Aquila employees never replaced these locks, leaving the monitoring wells open to vandalism and contamination.

I will be contacting the MDEQ about filing a formal complaint against Aquila for employee negligence.

In my opinion, Aquila Resources is NOT the "good neighbor" they try to portray themselves as. Cutting corners and lack of security inspections leave the public and environment open for disaster! This is our water, our drinking water, there is no element more precious!